Why read Psalm 144?
Psalm 144 is a prayer of daily praise and gratitude for God's goodness. It recalls His care in lifting up the fallen, providing food and drawing near to those who call on Him sincerely.
You can read this psalm when its themes speak to your circumstances, or as part of your regular reading of the Psalter. This explanation draws on the text itself; the psalm is not reserved for one particular need.
In the 20th Kathisma of the Psalter, Psalm 144 awaits its reader with 21 verses of prayer arising from a real experience. It begins with “I will exalt Thee, my God, my King, and...” — and from there onwards, everything is a dialogue between the human being and God. The Orthodox Septuagint numbering is retained: this Psalm 144 corresponds to Psalm 145 in Hebrew numbering.
The text of Psalm 144
1. I will exalt Thee, my God, my King, and I will bless Thy name for ever and unto the age of ages.
2. Every day will I bless Thee, and I will praise Thy name for ever and unto the age of ages.
3. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, and of His greatness there is no end.
4. Generation and generation shall praise Thy works, and they shall declare Thy power.
5. They shall speak of the majesty of the glory of Thy holiness, and they shall tell of Thy wonders;
6. And they shall proclaim the power of Thy terrible acts, and they shall recount Thy glory.
7. They shall utter the memory of the abundance of Thy goodness, and they shall rejoice in Thy righteousness.
8. Compassionate and merciful is the Lord, long-suffering and plenteous in mercy.
9. Good is the Lord to all, and His compassions are over all His works.
10. Let all Thy works praise Thee, O Lord, and let Thy saints bless Thee.
11. They shall tell of the glory of Thy kingdom, and they shall speak of Thy power,
12. To make the sons of men know Thy power, and the glorious majesty of Thy kingdom.
13. Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all the ages, and Thy dominion is from generation to generation. Faithful is the Lord in His words and holy in all His works.
14. The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that are bowed down.
15. The eyes of all hope in Thee, and Thou givest them their food in due season.
16. Thou openest Thy hand, and fillest every living thing with Thy good pleasure.
17. Righteous is the Lord in all His ways, and holy in all His works.
18. The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.
19. He will do the will of them that fear Him, and He will hear their prayer and save them.
20. The Lord keepeth all that love Him, but all the sinners shall He destroy.
21. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless His holy name for ever and unto the age of ages.
When Psalm 144 is read
- in the praise of the majesty of God.
- At the end of each psalm, the tradition adds: "Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen."
Neighbouring psalms
Read also
The numbering follows the Orthodox Psalter (Septuagint). The same psalm may have a different number in other Bible editions.
